If you thought the Micah Parsons discourse was over, you're going to have to tough it out this week, as the Dallas Cowboys welcome the Green Bay Packers to AT&T Stadium on Sunday Night Football.
This had the makings of a box-office matchup before the season, but the Cowboys are trending down and are extremely banged up. Coming off a brutal Week 3 loss to the Bears, Dallas will be without CeeDee Lamb and rookie guard Tyler Booker for at least the next two weeks due to ankle injuries.
And they'll face a hungry Packers team that just lost to the previously 0-2 Browns. The storylines do not bode well for the Cowboys. So why wouldn't Jerry Jones poke the bear by revealing that Micah Parsons will not receive a tribute video from his former team before kickoff?
Cowboys will not give Micah Parsons a tribute video in Dallas return
“I don’t think that’s appropriate this way,” Jones said. “Emmitt [Smith coming back] was a different story. But that’s not to diminish Micah. I think Micah’s got enough welcome out there. We just need to show we’ve got antidotes for that."
Parsons was going to be motivated regardless of whether the Cowboys honored him. However, you can guarantee this will put another chip on his shoulder.
Nobody's saying that Parsons deserved a tribute akin to Emmitt Smith or Michael Irvin. Of course, Jones made an unfair comparison. Paying Parsons some form of respect before the game could've served as the final break and allowed both sides to move on. Now, the All-Pro pass rusher has even more reason to go scorched earth against his former team.
Parsons obviously isn't a Cowboys legend, but he won Defensive Rookie of the Year with the team and racked up 52.5 sacks while asserting himself as one of the best defensive players in the NFL. He made four Pro Bowls in as many seasons, he was a three-time All-Pro, and finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting in each of his first three years.
The 26-year-old was well on his way to joining the Ring of Honor and donning a gold jacket as a Cowboy. A quick "thank you" tribute video that ran through some of Parsons' best moments with the franchise would've served as taking the high road. Even a "Thank you, Micah" message on the jumbotron would've done the job.
Tributes are typically designated for legends of the game and franchise icons, but those aren't the only benchmarks. Great players are deserving as well, and Parsons was the epitome of great in his four years with the Cowboys.
Parsons was going to feast on Sunday night regardless, but you have to think he's even more motivated now.